WEST ORANGE, NJ — In anticipation of Passover, B’nai Shalom in West Orange is pulling out all the stops to help families make sure that young children find the seder and the entire holiday to be both meaningful and fun. Children, parents and grandparents who participate in the synagogue’s first Passover Cooking & Crafting for Kids “Gift-it-4Ward” event will come away with ideas and handmade Passover items that will help make the holiday more memorable for the entire family.
This free event for the entire community will take place on Sunday, March 11, from 9 a.m. to noon at B’nai Shalom, 300 Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange.
Starting off the morning will be “A Taste of Primary School” from 9 to 10 a.m., followed by “Cooking for Kids – Passover Style,” where children can make their own Rocky Road Matzo crunch bars, matzo pizza and charoset. While the children are cooking, there will be a workshop for parents and grandparents led by Rabbi Robert Tobin on “Ways to Better Engage Children at the Seder” during the 10 to 11 a.m. timeslot.
From 11 a.m. to noon there will be Passover crafting where children can make their own Elijah’s cup and matzo cover for the seder. They will also make their own cards, which will be “gifted-4ward” along with the food donated at this event. A light brunch will be served at 11 a.m.
During the “Taste of Primary School” segment, the synagogue’s education director, Rena Casser, will help the children create a “Garden of Good Deeds.” Each child will be asked what mitzvah they did during the week for someone else. They will write down the mitzvah on a flower, and it will be placed on a mural. They will also be introduced to some of Casser’s techniques that gets children to both learn and enjoy davening at an early age.
Participants are asked to bring a non-perishable Passover food item to be donated to a local kosher food pantry. People who want to attend must register online by March 8 at www.bnaishalom.net/events.php#events; scroll to Passover Gift-it-4Ward Celebration. If you have questions about the event, contact Leslie Gleaner at 973-731-0160, ext. 207, or at programs@bnaishalom.net.
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